Tuesday 19 March 2019

Old Warrior ECW.

 Where has the time gone to since my last post? It is one of the longest delays between posts ever and I'm not really certain why considering how many games John and I have played in that time.We have refought Edgehill twice and played a very large ACW scenario plus Ive been away for the last couple of weekends. Unfortunately I didnt attend Hammerhead due to it falling on my wife's birthday. I hardly think the journey could be justified somehow? Still it looked a good show albeit containing dozens of small bite sized games.
Sadly my win rate was dire with the battles we fought but all the games were brilliant and very tense affairs. I especially enjoyed using the Parliamentarians at Edgehill, it was a very bloody affair but for a change the cavalry gave a good account of themselves.
 I have been busy in several ways including progressing my ECW old school project. I was lucky enough to buy off E Bay three regiments of old Warrior foot owned by Stuart Asquith and I had to have them. I touched up the Warrior figures and then padded them out with the newer Warrior casts to make up my regiments. The grey coats regiment is the first one that is based. The other two are ready to base and will join the royalists.
Yes they are quite crude looking.
Yes they are small in comparison to Renegade, Front Rank etc but beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I like them. I only wish I could have got more of them.
I really enjoyed the writings of Stuart Asquith especially his wonderful ECW scenarios and battles in the old Battle and Military Modelling.I also enjoyed his prickly observations in the Observation Post. If only things weren't so bland nowadays and a spade could be called a spade. 
I finally completed a Yellowcoat Regiment that has been sat waiting completion. These again are a combination of old painted figures and new castings. Yes they are bright, but I do like colour even though it isnt accurate for the period.These represent one of the London Trained bands.



I also completed my final artillery piece from the box of metal I purchased at York. Amongst the metal I found an old Minifig figure in the box and repainted him. He's the guy with the barrel and morion. Because of his diminutive size he is my powder monkey.                   

                                   

Next we have another ironside regiment using old figures from my York purchases, painted/re painted.The Hinchliffe figure is a lovely casting and for me looks the part.They are for Cromwell's brigade.

 Amongst my purchases on E Bay was a number of cuirassier officers by Hinchliffe. I have painted these up as the King's Gentlemen Pensioners and they will accompany my king on the battlefield.
                                         

 I also picked up some cheap ACW personalities several weeks ago and painted up Jackson for my armies. I do find switching subjects helps me keep interest.

 Finally Jason kindly sent me a couple of odd horses and a figure from his spares box of figures from the Old Wargames Holiday Centre collection.The gendarme in white is a beauty with a Lamming head and greenstuff plume. The other is one I put together using a Hinchliffe body, Perry plastic head and a Eureka French archer arm.The horse is a WHC from Jason with the beautiful wipe off oil technique on show.

 Again a painted WHC horse with Hinchliffe gendarme body, Perry head and Eureka arm. I know the head looks slightly out of scale, but he does fit in well with the unit.

One thing I've noticed these last couple of weeks is that I am struggling to paint more than an hour at a time nowadays due to back problems. After that I need to go and rest, walk or simply do something else.
 I am in constant awe of painters who can churn out large numbers of painted figures in a short period without suffering pain or discomfort and wonder what their secret is?
  Personally I attribute the back problem to the numerous road accidents I was involved in during my former life. People talk of nine lives but my tally of write offs and serious bumps was past that total and yet I was lucky enough to walk away from them all. I liken it to a footballer who ignores the knocks until he discovers it all catching up with him.
But basically all is well in my wargaming firmament and if anyone wants to offload some Stuart Asquith ECW figures, I'm your man.



18 comments:

  1. Some lovely stuff there and some good ‘drop ons’ with e-bay. I llike the oil applied to horses, have oil paint and yet have never tried it, probably because I am too impatient for things to dry. I sympathise with your back pain, revenge of the things done in years gone-by sounds about right :-)

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    1. You should give the oils a go Norm. I must admit I have never found an acrylic alternative that gives as good a finish. I found that placing them on a radiator after painting helps a lot.For my horses, I used to follow Gilder's painting regime religiously. So a decent and bright undercoat, usually deep yellow or a deep orange. When bone dry, slap on the burnt umber and then wipe off with a very soft cloth. Babys blankets worked the best for me.A little practice used to produce some lovely effects.

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  2. They are simply gorgeous Rob. A remedy for the back pain I find is a toxic cocktail of mind altering drugs. Gets me through each day quite nicely, I assume......

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    1. I think I take enough tablets Colin. Getting off my backside will hopefully free up whatever's causing the problem.

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  3. Robbie, you have been VERY busy of late!

    Your ECW project is going gangbusters and your Italian Wars additions are sublime.

    Short, but frequent (ok, somewhat less frequent lately) painting sessions works for me.

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    1. I havent really Jonathan honest. Spring is coming and my garden will need rescuing soon. I am however determined to complete my much delayed ECW armies which will then give me time to consider what next.

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  4. A good buy. I've been on the lookout for warrior Romans from the late '80's early '90's to augment my few units. Can I find them? NO.

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    1. They are still about Peter, but are usually stuck in a cupboard somewhere getting lead rot.I still keep dreaming I will turn up a pile of early Wargamers Newsletters at some charity shop. The daft thing is I never go in any.

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  5. You really are going along at a grand rate. I like the ACW addition of Stonewall, sans lemon. As you know I struggle with prolonged painting times myself, finding the best way to cope while maintaining enthusiasm is the key.

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    1. Well your still knocking out the SYW French David so something is working still.I must admit I keep returning to the ACW to add something else. Its strange really but hey wargamers are a bit strange.

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  6. Love the flags on the grey coat regiment, but especially like the yellow coated regiment - I may have to try that on one of mine!

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    1. Yellow is a difficult colour for me Steve.Its a tad close to buff.

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  7. Very nice figures. Warrior - not my cup of tea but they do like rather splendid in your set up.#
    Back pain when painting? Raise the desk level so you're not leaning over and actually more upright. gets me through three hours reasonably comfortably.

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    1. I'll try that Paul although I might have to raise it up to my chin!

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  8. Robbie,it's the devil sitting on your shoulder that's giving you the bad back!!
    Welcome back(with a bang!!)
    johnc(william)

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  9. Love those old style Warrior ECW figures. Gloss finish is perfect!

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My 6mm Napoleonic set up.

My 6mm Napoleonic set up.
Austria 1809.

Austrian Hussars

Austrian Hussars
Hinchliffe figures

Austrian Grenzer

Austrian Grenzer
Austrian Grenzer

Smoggycon 2013

Smoggycon 2013
Smoggycon 2013

Smoggycon 2012

Smoggycon 2012
Smoggycon 2012

Smoogycon 2009

Smoogycon 2009
My French getting another beating